Payments - its still early and the biggest issue is getting the tech in all retailers. As that continues to grow, so will using phone to buy. Its far safer and actually easier as you don't need to carry all your cards with you. (I don't)

Sharing - BT4.0 still requires some initiation and linking that is more cumbersome than just touching the back of two devices together. Sure you gain range, but touching phones and then pulling away is not that big of a deal. You don't have to remain touched for the entire process.

Tags - sure its a niche feature for the nerdy. But its awesome and is also pulled off via an app and bluetooth technology.

Though the BT vs NFC thing is a very valid argument. All phones will always contain a BT radio as its used for a lot more features, but if NFC payments die off then its very likely they'd drop the NFC chips as the rest of the functionality can be replciated with BT. Basically lowering your cost of materials.

If you read the linked article, retailers like Best Buy and 7-Eleven have the tech. And they turned it off. The problem isn't just that it's not out there, it's that the retailers don't even want it out there. Whether that's to save costs, push their own payment agenda, or spare customer confusion is beside the point. Google can't force retailers to adopt NFC if they don't want to.

And on the consumer side, there's this: "Generally, NFC payments are performing well below expectations in the U.S., especially given [that] nearly every major non-Apple smartphone supports NFC," said analyst Patrick Moorhead, of Moor Insight & Strategy. "The biggest issue is the [inconsistency] in the experience. Unlike credit and debit cards that are accepted everywhere, NFC payments are only available at a small portion of overall stores and the checkout experience varies from store to store. This is a killer for consumers."

BT linking is not an issue if the software behind it sophisticated enough. Airdrop requires no linking beyond having it turned on, tapping a share button somewhere, and selecting the target. By the time you've crossed the room, asked your friend to pull out his phone, and aligned them properly, the Airdrop transfer is done. Paper's pencil stylus uses a technique they call "Kiss to Pair." iBeacons just require the appropriate app install. Apple TVs now pull configuration from your phone with same tap gesture you're so fond of.

All of this is why Apple adopting NFC is even more preposterous than Apple shipping a phablet.

What’s all the gibberish going on here? Can’t you all just sit there and wait for the actual release to discover how the device is going to be like? As far as I know about Apple, they wouldn’t allow a leak. Those spreading all sorts of fake news surely have some wicked plan on their minds! Am not ready to believe in anything other than an official announcement!